JESHUA (jesh'u-a.), (Heb. yay-shoo'ah.
Jehovah helps).
1. One of the towns in which the people of Judah lived after their return front captivity (Neh. xi:26). According to Schwarz it is Vesta.. five miles east of Ekron (Palest. p. z6) ; prob ably the Yeshua of Robinson (Research. iii, 145, sq.).
2. A priest during David's reign and head of the ninth sacerdotal order (z Chron. xxiv : i) ; the A. V. has Jeshuall. (B. C. 6)14.) 3. Son of Jozedech, and high-priest of the Jews when they returned, under Zerubbabel. from the Babylonian exile (B. C. 536). He was, doubtless, born during the exile. His presence and exhortations greatiy promoted the rebuilding of the city and temple. The altar of the latter being first erected, enabled him to sanctify their labor by the religious ceremonies and offerings which the law required. Jeshua joined with Zerubbabel in opposing the machinations of the Samaritans (Ezra iv:3) ; and lie was not found wanting in zeal when the works, after having been interrupted, were resumed in the §econd year of Darius Hystaspis (Ezra V:2; Hag. i:r2). Sev eral of the prophet Haggai's utterances are ad dressed to Jeshua (Hag. Et; ii:2), and his name occurs in two of the symbolical prophecies of Zechariah (iii:1-zo; vi:1 z-15). In the first of these passages Jeshua, as pontiff, represents the Jewish people covered at first with the garb of slaves, and afterwards with the new and glori ous vestures of deliverance. In the second he
wears for a tnoment crol.vns of silver and gold, as symbols of the sacerdotal and regal crowns of Israel, which were to be united on the head of the Messiah. Ile was also called Joshua.
4. (Neh. yin:17). (See Jositun.) 5. A Lcvite who had charge of distributing the sacred offerings in the sacerdotal cities under Hezekiah (2 Chron. xxxi :15), L'. C. 726.
6. A descendant of the place or person called Pahath-inoab, whose people to the number of 2,812 returned from captivity (Ezra ii :6; Neh. vii :tz), B. C. before 536.
7. A Levite whose posterity to the number of 74 returned from Babylon (Ezra ii :4o; Neh. vii: 43). B. C. before 536.
8. Father of the Levite Jozabad, whom Ezra appointed to look after the offerings for the sacred services (Ezra viii :33), B. C. before 459.
9. Father of Ezer ; the latter repaired a part of the wall of Jerusalem (Nell. iii:t9), B. C. before 446.
10. A Levite, head of a house, and an active co-operator with Nehemiah in the reformations he instituted (Neh. viii :7 ; ix :4. 5 ; x :9; xii :8). In Neh. (xii :24) "son of Kadmiel" should mani festly read "Jeshua and Kadmiel."